Slide fastener having a filling core

ABSTRACT

A slide fastener having a filling core adapted to stabilize the position of the fastener coupling elements when mounted on the stringer tapes of the fastener. The core is made from a fabric of a knitted structure having at least wales and an inter-wale groove defined therebetween, the arrangement being that stitchings securing the elements to the tapes run through the core along the inter-wale therein without causing the core to become deformed or displaced relative to the longitudinal axis of the fastener.

United States Patent Yoshida [111 3,812,555 51 May 28, 1974 SLIDE FASTENER HAVING A FILLING CORE Inventor: Tadahiro Yoshida, Fujisawa, Japan Yoshida Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, Japan Filed: Aug. 31, 1973 Appl. N0.: 393,560

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. l, 1972 Japan 47-102237 U.S. Cl. 24/205.l C, 24/205.l6 C Int. Cl A44b 19/12 Field of Search24/205.1 C, 205.16 C, 205.13 C

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1962 Berberich 24/205.I6 C

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,086,520 10/1967 Great Britain 24/205.1 C

Primary Examiner-Bemard A. Gelak 57] ABSTRACT A slide fastener having a filling core adapted to stabilize the position of the fastener coupling elements when mounted on the stringer tapes of the fastener. The core is made from a fabric of a knitted structure having at least wales and an inter-Wale groove defined therebetween, the arrangement being that stitchings securing the elements to the tapes run through the core along the inter-Wale therein without causing the core to become deformed or displaced relative to the longitudinal axis of the fastener.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAY28 I914 381 2' 55 SHEET 2 {OF 2 a I 5 SLIDE FASTENER HAVING A FILLING CORE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to slide fasteners of the type having a series of integrally united coupling elements formed from a filamentary plastic material and secured to an inner longitudinal edge of each of a pair of stringer tapes. More particularly, the invention is concerned with slide fasteners of the class described which further includes a filling or reinforcing core utilized to stabilize the position of the coupling elements when secured as by stitchings to the stringer tape.

Heretofore, there have been proposed many filling cores of different forms and constructions that are made from stranded, braided or plaited pieces of textile cloth having a round or flattened cross-section. Such prior-art filling cores have suffered from the disadvantage that the core was deformed and moved in a serpentine fashion relative to the longitudinal axis of the fastener when it was subjected to pressure of the sewing needle that sews the same together with fastener coupling elements to the tape. This resulted in irregular gaps or clearances wherein adjacent coupling elements are interengaged or intermeshed, which would therefore disapprove the constant, uniform strength of coupling between the elements throughout the length of the fastener and would often invite a rupture in the chain of fastener elements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a slide fastener which will eliminate the aforesaid disadvantages of the prior-art fastener.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a filling core which is free from objectionable deformation or displacement relative to the longitudinal axis of the fastener when sewn together with the fastener coupling elements to the tape, and which will therefore serve to maintain uniform strength of coupling between the elements throughout the length of the fastener.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of certain preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters or numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a fragmentary, partly broken away, plan view on enlarged scale of the reverse side ofa slide fastener according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line Illl of FIG. 1, showing the two stringer tapes coupled together;

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross section of one of the two stringer tapes, showing a modified form of the invention; and

FIGS. 4 through 7 inclusive are views similar to FIG. 3 but each showing a different modification according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED I EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings and FIGS. 1 and 2 in particular, there is shown a slide fastener F which comprises a pair of opposed stringer tapes T,, T each carrying along their respective inner longitudinal edges a series of integrally united coupling elements E which are engaged and disengaged by a slider (not shown) to close and open the fastener in the usual manner.

The coupling elements E are formed from a filamentary plastic material into a coiled structure wherein each of the elements E has a coupling head portion Ea, two spaced apart transversely extending leg portions Eb,, Eb, and a base portion Ec connecting the leg portions Eb of each element to those of adjacent elements.

Designated at 10 is a filling core according to the invention which is inserted in the space between the upper and lower leg portions Eb, and Eb, and extends longitudinally throughout the length of the series of elements E and substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the stringer tape T,, (T The filling core 10 is made of a knitted fabric having at least two longitudinally extending wales 10a defining therebetween an inter-wale groove 10b.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the filling core 10 is inserted between the leg portions of the elements with the inter-Wale groove 10b directed towards the lower leg portions Eb, that engages with the surface of the stringer tape T,, (T The core 10 is accommodated in and extends longitudinally of the series of elements E such that it fills the part of the space between the two leg portions Eb,, Eb, which lies in the proximity of the base portion Ec but leaves unfilled the part of the space which lies in the proximity of the coupling head portion Ea to provide a sufficient clearance 11 thereat for interengagement of the elements E on the opposed stringer tapes T, and T The wales 10a of the core 10 serve as a guide for a sewing needle (not shown) in such a way that the latter runs exactly into and along the inter-Wale groove 10b. It will be readily understood that the needle can thrust, with a minimum of resistance, through the groove portion of the core 10 which is relatively thin and hence does not cause the core 10 to become deformed or move sidewise to interfere with interengagement of the coupling elements E. Thus, the provision of the filling core 10 characteristic of the invention ensures that the clearance 11 extending transversely of the elements E is maintained unvaried and aligned parallel with the longitudinal axis of the fas tener F throughout the length of the elements E whereby the strength of coupling between adjacent elements E is held constant.

The series of elements E are sewn as by a lock stitching S, to the respective stringer tapes T, and T along the line of scam S which registers with the longitudinally extending grooves 10b between the wales 10a.

FIG. 3 illustrates a modification wherein the core 10 is inserted in the elements E with the wales 10a facing the upper leg portion Eb, contrary to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is characterized by the provision of a filling core 10 having three wales 10a and hence two inter-wale grooves 10b and a covering strip 12 of similar construction to the core 10 laid over the upper leg portions Eb, of the elements E, both core and strip being secured together with the elements E to the tape T by means of two-thread chain stitches S, as shown.

The embodiment of FIG. 5 employs a filling core 10 similar to that shown in FIG. 4, which core is secured together with the elements E to the tape T, by means of two needle lock stitches S FIG. 6 illustrates a further modification wherein the elements E are mounted on a stringer tape T of a knit ted structure and sewn thereto through a filling core 10 having two wales 10a, the stitchings being accommodated in a recess 13 formed in the upper leg portions Eb v The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is characterized by the application of a filling core 10 to a serpentine form of coupling elements E which are secured together with the core 10 by two needle lock stitches S Having thus described the invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the specific form and construction described above and illustrated in the drawings without departing from the scope of the appended claim. As for an example, the number of wales 10a and inter-Wale grooves 10!) may be increased depending upon the size of the elements E employed.

What is claimed is:

l. A slide fastener comprising a pair of opposed stringer tapes, a series of integrally united coupling elements secured to the inner longitudinal edge of each of the opposed stringer tapes, said coupling elements each having a coupling head portion, spaced apart upper and lower leg portions and a base portion connecting said leg portions of each element to those of adjacent elemerits, a filling core having at least two wales and an inter-wale groove defined therebetween, said core being inserted in the space between said upper and lower leg portions and extending longitudinally throughout the length of said series of coupling elements and parallel with the longitudinal axis of the fastener, and stitchings running through said core along said inter-Wale groove and securing said elements together with said core to the respective stringer tapes.

2. A slide fastener as defined in claim 1 wherein said filling core is made from a knitted fabric.

- 3. A slide fastener as defined in claim 1 wherein said filling core is inserted with said wales directed towards said lower leg portions of the coupling element.

4. A slide fastener as defined in claim 1 wherein said filling core is inserted with said wales directed towards said upper leg portion of the coupling element. 

1. A slide fastener comprising a pair of opposed stringer tapes, a series of integrally united coupling elements secured to the inner longitudinal edge of each of the opposed stringer tapes, said coupling elements each having a coupling head portion, spaced apart upper and lower leg portions and a base portion connecting said leg portions of each element to those of adjacent elements, a filling core having at least two wales and an interwale groove defined therebetween, said core being inserted in the space between said upper and lower leg portions and extending longitudinally throughout the length of said series of coupling elements and parallel with the longitudinal axis of the fastener, and stitchings running through said core along said inter-wale groove and securing said elements together with said core to the respective stringer tapes.
 2. A slide fastener as defined in claim 1 wherein said filling core is made from a knitted fabric.
 3. A slide fastener as defined in claim 1 wherein said filling core is inserted with said wales directed towards said lower leg portions of the coupling element.
 4. A slide fastener as defined in claim 1 wherein said filling core is inserted with said wales directed towards said upper leg portion of the coupling element. 